A House but not a Home
by KaibaGirl17
Summary: Michael Arclight has been adopted. He's even allowed to continue keeping contact with his older brothers! Everything should be great, right? Right?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I know I said that I was taking a break, but I decided to reconsider. The feedback is nice, but the real reason for my writing on here is just for the sake of my absolute love of writing. Although, I do hope everyone enjoys this new little Arclight piece.

Disclaimer: It's a New Year, but I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal, Shin Yoshida does.

...

Michael Arclight couldn't believe what was happening. After three years in the Heartland Children's Home with his brother Thomas, he had been adopted.

Thomas, who was now fifteen, had gone and started a career as a duelist. He was pretty young, but his age was overlooked when it came to his dueling.

Their older brother, Christopher, still worked and stayed with Dr. Faker at Heartland Tower, but he had always made time to see his brothers whenever he could.

And now, a woman named Anna Ryland had adopted Michael. She had told him she was unable to have children and since she was so desperate for at least one child, her only option was to adopt. Why she wanted a child who was over ten years old somewhat confused him, Michael didn't question it.

As he climbed the stairs to his new bedroom, the pink-haired Arclight thought about his older brothers. Thomas was usually off dueling but when he did come home, he stayed with Chris.

' _Well at least we're both out of that place,_ ' he sighed inwardly.

And Miss Ryland had told him that he and his brothers were allowed to call, write, and visit each other whenever Thomas was home or Chris had a day off.

Michael stepped into his room. He supposed it was nice, but it was nothing like the room he had once had when he had lived with his father and brothers. Not a single thing in the room had been owned by him previously.

The bed was fairly good-sized, with a crimson duvet and white pillowcase. There was a closet and next to it a small desk and a chair, but not much else.

"This will be your room," Miss Ryland was still smiling. "I hope you'll be happy here."

"I'm sure I will be," Michael smiled in return.

"Dinner will be at six," Miss Ryland indicated a clock above the desk. "So, I expect no excuses for being late."

The woman turned on her heel and walked out, closing the door behind her.

Michael sat down on the bed and stared out the window on the other side of the room. It overlooked the street below. It was all so much to take in. Miss Ryland seemed to be a pleasant lady and his room was rather nice. But he still felt a tinge of sadness for the family that he no longer had; his father was gone and his older brothers, while still around, were unable to be physically there. Chris was in Heartland City, miles away from the suburbs Michael would now call home. And Thomas was away on a Dueling tour. But he reminded himself that both had promised to write and Miss Ryland had said again that they were more than welcome to visit. Michael was incredibly grateful to the woman who had taken him in because of this; while they would no longer actually live together, the pinknette was pleased that he hadn't lost his entire family for good. His father was still gone, but the youngest Arclight brother still had his older siblings.

He stared up at the clock. It was only four o'clock, plenty of time to get a nap in before dinner. After the long ride from the city, Michael felt rather tired. So, without another thought, the twelve-year-old curled up on the bed and drifted off to sleep.

...

...

So, how was this new update? Please leave your opinions, no flames please, by clicking that little review button below.

And in the spirit of the New Year, I've decided to actually keep my word on the days I promise to update. I won't miss one guaranteed.

The next update here will be out on Thursday, January 7th.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here is the new chapter as promised. I apologize for the delay, but it was one of those times when you think the story is just about perfect when you think of something else that you just have to add to it. Well, at least it's still on the 7th as I promised. Thank you to Durbe the Barian, Sleeping Satelli, and Zexalloverforever39 for the reviews on the first chapter. Enjoy, everyone.

Disclaimer: I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal or any of the characters, except Miss Ryland in this story, Shin Yoshida owns everything else.

...

Michael stared out his window at the thousands of tiny, white flurries flying past the glass. The first snow and it wasn't even winter yet.

He couldn't help but remember how Chris had never let him out of the house until he had made sure that the youngest brother was wearing a sweater, a coat, a scarf, gloves, and a hat.

"I just want to make sure you don't freeze," he would say as he helped Michael with the scarf.

Typically this was followed by Thomas rolling his eyes and letting a snarky comment fly.

"Of course!" he would snort, "We wouldn't want fragile little Michael to catch a cold now, would we?"

Michael always knew that the middle Arclight never meant anything by it; that kind of teasing was more or less Thomas's way of showing affection. That and a colorful array of mischievous pranks every now and again.

But after Byron's disappearance, Thomas had become a little more serious. After all, he'd had to grow up quickly after he and Michael were sent to the facility while Chris investigated what happened. Thomas had taken on so much responsibility making sure Michael was safe from anyone who might try to bully him during their time there.

The children's home was not highly pleasant, but for the most part it was tolerable. Michael shared a room with Thomas. There had been two beds and a single dresser between them. However, little Michael had often opted to sleep curled up beside Thomas, his tiny fingers buried in the older boy's unruly locks of spiky, dark red hair.

Suddenly, Michael was pulled back to reality by the sound of a knock on his bedroom door.

"Yes?" he called.

The door opened to reveal Miss Ryland.

"The snow is pretty, isn't it?" she smiled.

Michael smiled back and nodded.

"Yeah, it is," he said, turning and peering out the window. "It's beautiful."

"I imagine you and your brothers played in the snow often," his foster mother said.

The pre-teen Arclight nodded once again.

"Yeah, whenever it snowed, Thomas couldn't get out there fast enough," he recalled. "While Chris and I were getting dressed, he'd already be building a fort for the impending snowball fights. Sometimes he'd forget his gloves, or his coat or something. It was a good thing he has a strong immunity system or he would have been sick several times. Thomas usually only gets sick once or twice a year."

"What about Chris?" Miss Ryland asked.

"Chris has only been sick two or three times that I can actually remember," Michael told her.

She thanked him before leaving to make lunch.

Michael sat back on his bed and went back to watching the snowflakes fall, continuing their descent to earth from the sky above.

He wondered if it was snowing back in the city and wherever Thomas was now. But he had heard not long ago that Thomas had been invited to partake in the Mini Surf Expert Match Tournament and that sounded like it was going to take place in somewhere with reasonably warm weather, so there was a slim chance of any snow where he was.

The pinknette felt happy remembering Thomas saying that after this latest tournament, he'd be coming back to Heartland City and then he and Chris would come to the quiet little suburban area that Michael now called home.

' _I can't wait to see you_ ,' Michael whispered, still gazing out the window. ' _I miss you. Both of you. Please come soon_.'

...

...

I hope everyone liked it. Please review.

The next chapter will be out on Monday, January 18th.

KaibaGirl out.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Here is the new chapter as promised. Thank you to FoxLover96 and Sleeping Satelli for the reviews on the previous chapter. Enjoy this new chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal or any of the characters, Shin Yoshida does.

...

"This woman is taking care of Michael, isn't she?" Thomas asked Chris as they walked up the front steps of the house belonging to their little brother's new foster mother.

"Of course she is," Chris answered, knocking on the door. "I visited while you were at your last tournament. Michael says she looks after him and he looked well. But since winter's on the way, I wanted to stop by and make sure he's still doing alright. Besides, I thought you might like to have a little bit of time with him today since you missed the last visit."

Thomas nodded. As long as his baby brother was being well cared for, he had no complaints.

The middle Arclight brother was still displeased that the three could not live together. After all, they were family and family was supposed to stay together through any and everything. But being able to visit regularly was a close second. It was better than not seeing each other at all.

A moment later, a woman with auburn hair pulled into a simple ponytail and blue-grey eyes answered the door.

"Hello, Christopher, how nice to see you again," she greeted with a smile that Thomas noticed failed to reach her eyes.

"Hello, Miss Ryland," Chris said, shaking her hand. "It's nice to see you again too."

"And who is this handsome young man with you?" the lady asked, turning to Thomas.

"This is my other younger brother, Thomas," Chris said. "Thomas, say hello to Miss Ryland."

"Chris, I'm fourteen," Thomas glared good-naturedly. "I can say hello without you having to tell me first. Hello, Miss Ryland."

"I'll bet the two of you are here to see your little brother," Miss Ryland said, running a hand through her hair.

"You guessed it," Thomas replied.

"Michael!" Miss Ryland called up the stairs. "Come in, you two."

A few moments later, the sound of footsteps was heard coming down the stairs and in walked a boy with a cap of rosy pink hair, light skin, and big, kind green eyes.

"Michael," Chris smiled warmly.

"Hey, little brother," Thomas grinned.

Michael beamed and ran forward, throwing his arms around his brothers' waists.

"I've missed you," he said. "It's been so lonely and hard without you."

"Oh, have I not been good to you?" Miss Ryland asked, tilting her head to the side and pouting playfully.

Michael's eyes widened slightly.

"I didn't mean it like that, ma'am," he answered quickly.

"Have you been a good boy?" Chris asked, a hand on Michael's shoulder.

"Sometimes," Miss Ryland smirked at Michael.

"I try," the child said to his older brothers. "I really do."

Chris turned to Thomas, who nodded and led Michael from the front hall and into the living room so the two could talk and catch up.

"Has he been well?" Chris asked, turning to Miss Ryland, now completely serious. "Michael's always been somewhat delicate and the weather is turning colder. I want to make sure that-"

"You don't need to fret, Christopher, he's fine," Miss Ryland placed a calming hand on Chris's shoulder. "He is very well and healthy, and I promise you that every care that could be is taken for his better comfort."

Chris nodded, that issue now out of the way, and turned to see that Michael had snuck back into the front hall and was now looking up at him.

"On the other hand, don't spoil him too much," the silvernette teased, wrapping his arms around Michael, who snickered in response.

The woman said nothing as she watched the exchange between the brothers.

Chris couldn't explain it, but for some reason at that moment he felt a small sense of foreboding...

...

...

So, how was it? I hope you all let me know.

The next chapter will be out on Monday, February 1st.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Here is the new chapter as promised. Thank you to Zexalloverforever39 and FoxLover96 for the reviews on the previous chapter. Enjoy this new chapter.

Disclaimer: I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal or any of the characters, except Miss Ryland in this story, Shin Yoshida owns everything else.

...

Michael sighed heavily as he lay down on his bed. He had not received a single letter from Thomas in almost a month, even though his brother had promised to write to him at least once a week. But then so had Chris, but Michael had not received any from his eldest brother either. To say that he was disappointed was an understatement. The pinknette was sad because he desperately missed his older brothers.

Miss Ryland had told him there was always the chance they were just busy. After all, Chris was working in Heartland Tower, which would demand te teenage Arclights full, undivided attention. And of course there was Thomas, who could possibly be even more busy than Chris with the numbers of tournaments and other such things that he would be doing for the next few months.

The twelve-year-old Arclight tried to console himself each day that that would be the day he would receive a letter from one or even both of is brothers, apologizing for the delay and telling him how much they had missed him, which would not be nearly as much as he missed the two of them.

But so far, nothing had come from them.

...

Christopher Arclight slowly trudged through the snow-covered steps to the house before knocking on the door.

A moment later, Miss Ryland answered the door, looking surprised.

"Chris!" she gasped. "W-what a pleasant surprise."

Chris smiled softly and gave a nod.

"Hello, Miss Ryland," he greeted. "I'm here to see Michael.''

For a moment, Miss Ryland was at a loss for words, but then she composed her face into a smile.

"Alright," she said. "I'll go get him."

...

Michael had nearly fallen asleep when his door opened and in walked his foster mother.

"Yes, ma'am?" he asked, sitting up.

"Your brother's here," she informed him.

"Really?" Michael perked up.

Miss Ryland nodded before turning and leaving the room.

...

Michael smiled as he came down the stairs and saw Chris sitting on the couch in the living room.

"Chris..." he whispered.

Chris smiled and rose to greet his little brother.

"Hello, Michael," he said. "I'm glad to see you're alright."

"I am," the pre-teen pinknette assured his brother.

"I just thought something was wrong," Chris said, squeezing Michael's shoulder gently. "After all, you haven't answered any of my letters. And Thomas called last night to ask me if I'd heard from you because he's sent you at least three or four letters in the last two months and he didn't get a single reply."

"Maybe the postal service is backed up," Miss Ryland commented.

Chris looked doubtful before finally nodding.

"I suppose that makes sense," he shrugged.

Michael nodded.

"It usually does before, during, and after the holidays," he said.

Chris ran a hand through his brother's soft pink curls.

"I'm just glad to see that you're alright," he told him.

Michael smiled. Even though they hadn't really spoken much the last few months, it was still reassuring to know that his big brother still cared so much.

Michael glanced over at Miss Ryland and pulled away from his brother.

"I am feeling kind of tired," the youngest Arclight brother said, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to look tired.

"I'll let you get your rest then," his older brother replied. "I love you, little brother."

Michael hugged him.

"I love you too," he murmured.

...

...

So, how was it? I hope you all let me know.

The next chapter will be out on Friday, February 12th.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Here is the new chapter as promised. Thank you to Ariette5, Zexalloverforever39, Dark Yugi, and FoxLover96 for the reviews on the previous chapter. Enjoy this new chapter.

Disclaimer: I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal or any of the characters, Shin Yoshida owns everything else.

...

Michael lay stretched out on his bed, the crimson duvet pulled up to his chest. He felt warm and cozy as he stared out at the falling snow. Thomas had written to him the other day, saying that it was very warm where he was and no chance of any snow. This made the pinknette yearn more than ever to be back with his brothers.

It wasn't long before that he received the first letter from Chris in of his older brothers were doing well, aside from missing him. But Chris informed him that he would be coming for a visit in the next week.

Michael smiled and hugged the letter, knowing that he would have some time to spend with his brother.

"Oh, I just can't wait to see him," the pink-haired pre-teen murmured aloud to himself. "I've missed him so much. It'll be so great to see him again."

"Michael, who are you talking to?" Miss Ryland called from outside in the hall. "You'd better not be on the phone this late."

"I'm not," Michael said quickly, glancing up at the clock. It was well after midnight. "I'm just really looking forward to seeing Chris next week."

"I see," his foster mother replied. "Well you need to get to bed."

"Yes, ma'am," Michael lay the letter on his bedside table before curling up beneath his blankets and allowing himself to drift off to sleep.

...

Chris smiled to himself slightly as he left Heartland Tower. He would be traveling outside of the city to see his youngest brother, Michael. Thomas was currently off competing in another tournament. So for the first time in a while, the oldest and youngest Arclight brothers had a chance to visit with one another.

The silver-haired teen was still a little suspicious of the circumstances surrounding the mysterious delay in Michael's receiving his letters and Thomas's. But Miss Ryland seemed like a calm and trustworthy lady. After all, if she was not, Chris would see no reason to doubt her.

As the eldest son of Byron Arclight boarded the train that would take him out of the city, he looked forward to seeing his brother again.

...

...

So, how was it? I hope you all let me know.

The next chapter will be out on Tuesday, March 1st.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Here is the new chapter, thanks for all the reviews, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal or any of the characters, Shin Yoshida does.

...

"This is nice," Michael smiled.

He and Chris were sitting in the living room across from one another. The silvernette had arrived early that morning and Miss Ryland had permitted him to spend the night in the guest bedroom.

"Miss Ryland seems like a very pleasant lady," Chris remarked when the brothers were alone.

Michael nodded without a word.

"So how's Thomas?" the pinknette asked. "Is he still in Spartan City?"

"No, past history," Chris answered. "He has...now gone off to America."

"Wow!" Michael looked intrigued. "Has he told you what part?"

"The southeast," his brother replied. "But he hasn't had much time to really do much sightseeing at the moment, too busy dueling."

"Typical Thomas," Michael sighed. "So, I guess we won't hear much about it when he comes back."

"The only thing we'll hear about is likely to be him recounting his victories," Chris smiled wryly. "I love our brother, but sometimes I believe he needs to curb his self-enthusiasm."

"He does," Michael agreed. "So how's work at the tower?"

"It's actually not as grueling as being a dueling test subject from what I hear," Chris informed his brother. "Kite, along with two others, Dextra and Nistro, all keep saying that Mr. Heartland's vile and sadistic. I've only worked with him personally a time or two. I've never really liked him on a personal level, but he doesn't really bother me."

"Sometimes people aren't always what they seem," Michael said with a sigh.

"That's true," the older Arclight agreed. "But you don't really know someone until you've actually allowed yourself to know them."

Michael shrugged and said nothing.

"So, have you been put in school yet?" Chris asked, deciding to change the subject.

The pinknette shook his head.

"Miss Ryland says it's too late in the year to enroll me in the local school," he told Chris. "She wants me to wait until the new term starts."

"But that will be an entirely new year," Chris protested.

"She said that's best," Michael said. "I told her it would be too late, but she was determined I'll start during the new school year."

...

"So, what did you and Chris talk about?" Miss Ryland asked later that night at dinner.

Michael swallowed hard and stared down at his food.

"Just things..." he said. "Chris's work and...school..."

"You did tell him that it was better to wait, didn't you?" Miss Ryland's voice took on an icy tone.

"Y...yes..." Michael squeaked.

Miss Ryland smiled but the warmth failed to reach her eyes.

"Good," she said.

...

...

Alright, the next chapter will be out on Saturday, May 14th.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Here is the new chapter. Thank you to Zexalloverforever39 and Dark Yugi for the reviews on the previous chapter. I hope everyone enjoys this brand new chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal or any of the characters except for Miss Ryland, Shin Yoshida owns everything else.

...

Six months had passed since Michael had gone to stay with Miss Ryland. Thomas was off on yet another Dueling tour, now having been named the Asian Dueling Champion. Chris had been very proud of his brother's accomplishment and had written about it to Michael, though he was sure Thomas had already sent his own letter, bragging. Thomas never had been one for humility, but that was what made him Thomas. He had been a little dismayed to not receive a response/

Having another day off, the silver-haired Arclight had decided to visit Michael. He had also written a letter a few weeks ago, before the one about Thomas, he had told Michael that he had saved up a fairly decent amount of the money Dr. Faker paid him, which he only took to avoid offending the doctor but still felt the man had done too much already, and Thomas had earned a little in his last duel, enough for the three to get a place where they could live together again. To this, Michael had responded, stating his joy at seeing his brothers again.

The train stopped. Michael's home with Miss Ryland was only a few blocks away.

...

After he knocked on the door, a woman with short, black hair and dark eyes answered the door.

"Is Miss Ryland here?" Chris asked.

"Yeah, she's here," the woman answered. "You're Chris, aren't you?"

"Yes," the silvernette nodded. "How's my brother?"

"He's good," the woman smirked nastily. "Doesn't wanna see you."

Chris was taken aback by this.

"What? Why?"

"Anna!" the woman turned and barked into the door. "You deal with this kid!"

"What's going on?" Chris asked.

The woman ignored him as she turned and stalked into the house.

A moment later, Miss Ryland emerged, looking very much unlike the affable woman Chris had seen during his previous visits.

"Miss Ryland, I believe you owe me an explanation," Chris told her, trying to remain as polite as possible but still with some authority.

"You'd better come in," Miss Ryland said absently.

Frowning at the obvious tension, Chris followed her into the house.

...

"What are you saying?" Chris stood up from the couch.

"That's what Michael said," Miss Ryland repeated her previous statement. "He doesn't want to see you or live with you and Thomas. He wants to stay here with us."

"You don't understand," Chris said. "He wrote me two weeks saying he was making plans for how he wanted to decorate his new room. He wouldn't have said that if he didn't intend to live with us."

"Perhaps he changed his mind," Miss Ryland shrugged.

"Maybe he's decided he likes it better here," said her rude friend.

"Let me talk to him," Chris requested.

The silver-haired teen had just happened to glance at the hallway for a split second. And at that moment, he saw a small glimpse of pink hair...

"Michael!" he gasped, getting to his feet and hurrying over to his brother. But as quickly as he had come, Michael turned and fled into another room. However, before he disappeared into the room, Chris noticed something odd.

"What happened to his eye?" he demanded, rounding on Miss Ryland.

"He got a corneal abrasion," she answered, waving her hand dismissively.

"All due respect, Miss Ryland," Chris looked angry. "A corneal abrasion is when your cornea is scratched."

"Yes, I'm aware of what a corneal abrasion is," Miss Ryland answered haughtily.

"And are you also aware that the cornea is the transparent outer layer of the eyeball itself?" Chris asked. "Because pardon me, but Michael clearly has a periorbital hematoma, otherwise known as a black eye."

"You need to go," Miss Ryland stepped to her feet.

"Miss Ryland-"

"GO!" Miss Ryland's voice had taken on a nasty edge.

...

...

Yes, a cliffhanger. Because I'm evil that way.

Let me know what you thought of this new chapter and the next will be out guaranteed on Saturday, August 13th.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I'm late, I'll admit that, so now all I can do is hope and pray those of you that enjoyed this story before haven't abandoned it yet. Thank you to zexal39, Ariera Death Angel, FoxLover96, and Dark Yugi for the reviews on the previous chapter. I hope everyone enjoys this brand new chapter.

Disclaimer: I'm still not Shin Yoshida, therefore I still do not own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal or any of the characters.

…

Michael lay on his stomach, sprawled out across his bed, groaning softly. His back still ached from Miss Ryland shoving him into thekitchen table when she screamed that she had told him not to come out during his older brother's visit.

As he had seen Chris storm down the street and out of sight, the pink-haired teen wanted to call out to his older brother that he wanted to go with him, but was afraid that Miss Ryland would hear and come upstairs before he had a chance to escape.

...

Chris was beyond livid. How dare that woman! How dare she and her despicable friend say Michael did not want to see him!

With a sigh, the silver-haired teen forced himself to calm down. He couldn't allow himself to lose his temper. If he was going to sort this mess out properly, he had too keep a cool head. Besides, Thomas was the one who always flew off the handle.

The eldest Arclight couldn't help but chuckle at the truth of this last thought. He knew he needed to hurry back to Heartland City before Thomas made it back. For if he didn't, he just knew he would have to hear the younger boy complain about not receiving a welcome home.

He took one last look at the house that his youngest brother now called home and headed for the train station, hoping to reach it before his train left.

...

Michael stared out the window longingly, wishing he could have gone with his brother and thinking to himself that while he lived in this house, it had become anything but a home.

...

Thomas sighed in annoyance as the pilot of the plane he was riding back to Heartland City in announced that the flight was taking an unplanned stop due to poor weather conditions. He knew that his brother Chris would be returning from his visit with Michael.

Michael...

The middle Arclight hadn't seen his younger brother since their separation at the facility where they had been taken shortly after Byron's disappearance. He sighed again and leaned back in his seat as he remembered that night. How he had cried out for Chris not to let the man from the facility take them. He knew Chris still felt incredibly guilty about the incident.

When he returned to the city, Thomas decided he would ask Chris to take him with him the next time he visited Michael. Maybe they could take Michael to one of the Dueling Tournaments.

Maybe...It would depend on what Chris said...

...

...

I hope everyone enjoyed this, even though it was incredibly short. Feel free to let me know.

The next chapter will be out on Monday, July 17th.

Until then, everyone.


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